Twenty Four Hours
by reader-giggles
Summary: Bella and Edward...can a life changing event bring them back together or will that tear them apart for ever. Written for  Voluptuous Vamp for FAGE 2


**Ficawesome Gift Echange- TAKE 2**

**Title: Twenty Four Hours**

**Written for: Voluptuous Vamp **

**Written By: reader_giggles **

**Rating: M**

**Summary/Prompt used: (At the bottom)**

**If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

**A/N: This one goes out very specially to Voluptuous Vamp and is dedicated to the lovely members of the FFA. It takes a village to write a fic & they are mine. Oh boy! I sound so like an author..lol..this is my first ever attempt at letting anyone see what I wrote and quite possibly the last! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

One day. Twenty four hours, a life lived in minutes. Most days start alike, without any indication that something might happen to set them apart from others. There are no vibrations on the ground, no scent in the air, no movement that says that this might be a life changing day. Bella in her twenty-six years had a few of these already and she wanted the rest of her days to be normal. No life changing events for her again. But then when does life turn out the way you need it to? When Bella woke up that Friday morning, little did she realize that this was one of those days – days when her life would change forever. Again.

* * *

8pm on a Friday evening found Bella Swan like every other day of the week - at the gym, rapping out a series of jabs and crosses inter spread with right hooks to an enormous weight bag held by Jasper as he, in a staccato voice belted out instructions.

"Bella, jab..."

"Kick..."

"Cross. From the shoulders Bella, use the shoulder"

"I _am_ using the shoulder, Jasper!" a furious Bella gasped as she threw in one last punch and kick combination grinding to a halt.

"Jesus, you are bent on killing me?", she asked wiping the sweat off her face with a towel.

"That's why you come to me, sweets." Jasper smirked as he handed her some water.

Bella gratefully took the water and drank a big mouthful. Jasper just stood there looking her over. She was his best client, focused, dedicated and incredibly hardworking. He still remembered when she had first come to him two years ago to learn kickboxing. She looked pale and fragile, as if a stiff wind would blow her away. But even then there was a hint of steel underneath, something that said - watch out, I may be down but I am _not_ out. She intrigued him. He had wanted to find out what had happened to her because it was obvious she had been through some tough times. What had started as curiosity had now matured into deep abiding friendship above all. There was never a hint of anything romantic between them. Jasper always saw the do not disturb sign she hung on her heart and respected that. Bella never spoke about her past and he didn't pry. Now both of them had in each other someone they respected and loved as a friend. Jasper had even met Alice, the love of his life through Bella so he was more grateful to her than he could ever express.

"Hey! Where did you go?" Bella bumped his shoulder with hers and brought him out of his reverie.

"Huh…..hit the showers and go home. I'll see you next week" Jasper walked her out of the room switching on the television to watch the news in the lobby as he dropped down on the couch letting out a groan. It had been a long week, he thought as his attention was caught by the news item on the screen.

"In sports news our correspondent is reporting on the car crash in Sepang, Malaysia. In an accident similar to the tragic car crash that caused Ayrton Senna's death in this very same track in 1994, Edward Cullen, Emmett McCarty, Jacob Black and three others were involved in a six car pileup a few hours ago. Black's car steered off the track, hit the wall and spun around before crashing into the cars following his..."

Jasper jumped up from the couch surprised at the loud thudding noise as Bella's knees gave away and she collapsed on the floor.

"Bella! Oh my God, Bella. Darlin' are you okay?" Jasper's innate southern drawl was more pronounced by the stress of seeing his best friend crying on the floor.

Bella was crouched, staring at the television screen, face bleached of any color mumbling "no - no….no" as if the mantra would make it all disappear - just another bad dream.

"Alice! I need you!" Jasper shouted out for his better half. He had Bella caught up in his arms and was rocking her trying to sooth whatever brought this on. The news item was forgotten in the background, a muted clue to the mystery he was trying to unravel.

Alice ran out of the office and stood transfixed at the sight before her. Her husband had their friend on his lap and Bella was staring fixedly at the television screen, tears running down her face. She approached Bella slowly, went up to her and gently cupped her cheeks, turning her face away from the screen.

"Bella, honey look at me please" Alice said, gently wiping the tears away from Bella's cheeks, her heart aching at the sheer pain etched away on her friend's face.

When Bella's eyes focused back on Alice's they are a swirling sea of turmoil.

"Al...Alice" her voice broke.

"Shhh…Bells…breathe, please breathe" said Alice, engulfing her in a hug, wrapping her arms around Jasper's, trying to center Bella.

Bella took some choking breaths and swallowed before whispering "I'm….I'm-okay, Alice"

"Can you tell me what happened, Bells?" Jasper asked.

"Jazz…I….I have to…go to Malaysia." Bella said turning around to look at him. "Take me there, please?"

"Ok, I will. What is in Malaysia, Bells?"

Pointing towards the television screen where they were showing clips of the crash in Sepang, she took a shuddering breath and said, "Ed…Edward. Edward's there"

Three hours later Jasper, Alice and Bella were on a flight to Malaysia. Alice managed to arrange the tickets and travel with her trademark efficiency and speed. The husband and wife duo were worried about their friend who had taken to talking in monosyllabic words since earlier that evening.

Jasper had tried to google Edward Cullen and was astonished to find that Edward was a world class F1 race car driver. Edward and his Team Ferrari were ranked number one last season and were piped to take the podium this year as well. He however, still couldn't make out how Edward was connected to Bella. From her reaction he was sure that whatever had kept Bella from fully living her life was linked to Edward – the how and why of it mystified him. Clearly Bella was in no shape to tell them the details.

Alice went about trying to make Bella comfortable, offering to get her some food or drink both of which were declined with a shake of her head.

Alice linked her fingers with Bella's and leaned against her shoulder offering comfort in the only way she knew Bella would accept. Bella looked from Alice on her right to Jasper on the other side more thankful for her friends than she could say. They were the only thing grounding her, keeping her from screaming out loud with all the fear and anguish bubbling in her heart. She sought refuge in the memories of time spent with Edward, of the first time they had met.

* * *

_The first time Bella laid eyes on Edward she fell head over heels for him…_literally_. She was walking home one beautiful fall evening when her gaze caught something on the store window across the street. A faint image of a man – tall, dressed in jeans and a shirt coming towards her from the opposite side – but what had ensnared her were his eyes. A startling shade of piercing green they held her captive as they locked eyes. She kept walking trying to get closer to the mystery man even as he walked towards her. _

_She had barely taken a few steps when she felt her world tilt – a loud bang and her butt hit the ground. While she was still trying to figure out what the hell had happened, she felt strong, firm arms trying to help her up. _

"_Miss….Miss, are you okay? Are you hurt?" a deep, velvety voice breathed near her._

"_Huh…?." She tried to scramble to her knees pushing the good samaritan standing right in front of her blocking her view of the green eyed man. Her arms were around his legs trying to push him as she peaked out trying to find her green eyed man – only to find the street empty. Dejected at her loss, she sank back down and looked up, ready to give the not so helpful samaritan a piece of her mind and encountered the same green eyes now blazing with concern._

"_I….uh….I…" She couldn't make sense of what had happened to her in the last five minutes. What was she doing on the ground and where did he come from?_

_He squatted down, holding her gaze until they were leveled. _

"_Are you okay? Looks like you hit your head pretty bad on the lamp post there" he said, pointing to the offending piece of hard metal she had walked into._

_Like a robot on instructions, she followed his arm – to the lamp post she had walked into while locking eyes with him. _

_Bella had never been the most graceful creature but nothing this embarrassing had happened to her, until now. She felt her face heat up with mortification, of all the things to have happened to her, this took the cake!_

"_Look, I think you should see a doctor. Head injuries can get worse if not treated", there was a slight grin pulling at his lips as he said this. _

"_Um….no doctors please. I will be okay" Bella was torn, on one hand she wanted to run as far and as quick as possible from this situation but on the other she wanted to talk to the Green Eyed Guy as she had begun calling him in her mind._

"_Okay, at least let me get you a cup of coffee. I don't think you should be alone right now." Had there been any amusement in his voice Bella would have hightailed it out of there but there was nothing but concern in that warm, honeyed tone._

_Bella nodded as he helped her up, gathering her purse as he did. _

"_I am Edward…Edward Cullen" he started to walk, his arms still wrapped around her waist._

"_Bella Swan" she looked up to him, a slight smile gracing her lips._

_That day was etched clearly forever in her memory – that first day that progressed into them meeting every day that week. They had decided to not talk about details of their lives wanting to give just the two of them a chance to connect; free from the burdens of families, work and friends – just Edward and Bella._

_Bella felt her heart slip a little more from her grasp every time she met Edward and Edward had never met a woman who had ensnared him that quickly. It was as if they were destined to cross paths. _

* * *

Bella clung to her friends and her memories of Edward all through the flight and then the journey to the hospital where Edward was being treated. They had no information on how either Edward or Emmett was, there was no one to call; they relied on the online world but details were sketchy at best.

As she stood in front of the hospital, all Bella could think of was that it looked more like a swanky hotel than a place where battles of life and death were fought every day. She prayed that all of this was just mis-information, where she would go in and be told that everyone was okay. She could deal with whatever happened from here-on now but only if someone told her Edward was not hurt. Her mind refused to entertain any other possibility.

"Bella honey, are you okay to go in?" Jasper was waiting patiently besides her, having sent Alice ahead to find out what she could about Edward.

"Yes …yes lets go" she whispered, her feet still not having moved an inch.

"I am sure he'll be okay Bella. Alice has gone in to find out"

Bella eventually took a deep breath and hesitantly moved her feet – one small step at a time taking her closer and closer to her past. The past she had run away from, a past that had Edward in it, a past she now knew she had never really escaped from.

––x––

They had just stepped inside when they crashed into an agitated Alice who came barreling out.

"They aren't giving any information, Bella", Alice was outraged at the hospital administration's behavior. She had failed to get any answers for Bella and this distressed her.

"They will only release information to the next of kin. Is there someone you can call?" she asked.

Bella had kept no contact with anyone from this part of her life other sporadic emails she had exchanged with Emmett and knew she had to call him.

Motioning with her hands she took her cell phone out and prayed that Emmett would be in a position to answer.

_I'm too sexy for my shirt too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts_

Bella looked askance at the handset in her palm as it kept blaring that song out and then at her friends before laughing out loud at the ringtone Emmett had. She had missed Emmett so much!

Abruptly the song was cut off as Emmett answered.

"Hello?"

"Em…Em… I" Bella gasped her throat once again tight with anguish and suppressed tears.

"Bella! Is that you Bells? I have been expecting your call" Emmett was clearly unsurprised.

Before she could ask anything he said the two words that held her rocking world upright.

**"He's okay"**

"Emmett, I …how …you." Bella was incoherent with relief having taken Emmett's words to heart. Edward was okay, he was not hurt, everything was right with her world again. Little by little the tense muscles in her body uncoiled, sending shivers through her.

"Bella, where are you?" he asked.

Seeing as Bella could only tremble and sputter Jasper took over. He told Emmett they had just stepped inside the hospital and Emmett directed them to the second floor where Edward was being looked at. Jasper then asked Emmett how he was; having remembered that he was in the accident too and that Bella would want to know.

"I am okay Jasper, just some cuts and bruises. The other guys are in much worse shape. Please get Bella here, Edward is okay but undergoing a scan to ensure there's nothing going on internally" he sounded worried.

Jasper and Alice exchanged glances and in the mysterious ways of the ones who had bonded and taken vows to spend the rest of their lives with each other Alice knew there was something to be worried about.

Jasper flipped the phone close and ushered Bella and Alice onwards.

"Jazz….is Emmett okay?"

"Yeah Bella, he's just fine. Only some bruises that is all. They are taking Edward for some scans though"

"Scans, what scans?" she asked ascending the stairs as the fear came rushing back like it had never left.

Suddenly Bella felt someone wrap their arms around her and swing her around.

"Bells! Oh Bella, how I have missed your face!"

Bella pushed at the chest the said face was buried in and looked into the baby blue eyes of her best friend, her brother - Emmett.

She noticed a cast on his arm, a nasty bruise that was turning purple of his cheek. He however looked just the same as always; steadfast and comforting.

With trembling fingers she touched his cheekbone, the pad of her thumb moving across that bruise as if she could wipe it away like a smudge on a glass pane.

"How are you, Emmett? Tell me the truth please," she entreated.

"I am okay Bella, I promise you" Emmett replied, rubbing her shoulders trying to calm her down.

"Em, is Edward…okay?" Bella held her breath wanting him to look her in the eye and say everything was fine.

"Umm…Bella, he... you see…the doctors." he stuttered.

"Spit it out Em, I need to know." she demanded.

Emmett led her towards a chair and helped her sit down. Squatting down on his knees he held Bella's hands in his.

"Bella, there was a crash at the race today…uh…yesterday" he looked up at the clock to confirm.

"A car hit his and then they both crashed into mine. He is okay but the doctors wanted to do a thorough check up before releasing him, hence the scans. They will probably release him later today"

"But – but Em the news….they said it was really bad. I was so scared"

Emmett stood up and sat down on a chair next to her "Yeah, the crash was massive. Jacob, this new kid who started a year ago is hurt pretty bad. He's being operated upon right now. I just hope he comes out of this okay"

He was hunched forward; his forearms braced on his knees, head down as he thought of his friends.

Bella didn't know what to say, she felt guilty for being thankful that it wasn't Edward in that operating theater. Rubbing a soothing hand over his shoulder she looked to see where her friends had disappeared to.

She spotted Jasper and Alice coming towards them with some food and steaming cups of coffee.

"Bella, you must eat something please" Alice handed her a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

Bella took them just to have something to occupy her hands while Emmett declined and stood up.

"I'm going to find out what's taking them so long"

Jasper and Alice settled besides Bella offering their support.

* * *

Bella was sitting in her chair, her eyes closed, hands folded neatly in her lap, her body rigid with tension. She had heard Edward was okay but her heart wouldn't calm down unless she saw him.

She felt a visceral awareness run through her body, the fine hair on her arms prickling and her eyes flew open – only to lock with the beautiful green eyes of Edward. Bella flew out of her chair as she hastily ran her eyes down his body checking for visible injuries. She saw the vivid bruise at the corner of his mouth, the scratches across his arm and the bandage on his right hand. He really was okay, she sighed in relief.

She took a few steps to stop in front of Edward, so close to him yet so far. She felt the tip of her boot touch the tip of his, the cloth of his shirt brushing against hers. She felt her body hum as it came alive, as if it had been hibernating all these years. Her hands balled into fists and she ached to touch him, to get physical proof that this wasn't a dream.

Edward kept his eyes locked onto hers, afraid that if he took his eyes off she would vanish.

The others watched them as they stood there, their bodies swaying towards each other before one of them would realize and jerk back. Their breathing synchronized like they were breathing each other in. It was obvious to everyone in the room that these two loved each other, time and distance had done nothing to diminish that love. The time they had spent apart had only added intensity, a hunger to their love.

Alice wanted to bash both their heads in; they were being foolish and wasting so much time. As she started to step forward, Jasper held her back. He shook his head indicating it was best left to the two of them to sort out.

"Edward…"

"Why are you here, Bella?"

Bella recoiled, his voice was flat. There was no inflection, no anger, no reproach or any question …there was _nothing._

"I….I had to see you." was Bella's whispered reply.

"Why?"

Alice gasped at the way he questioned Bella after she had flown half way around the world to get to him, could he not see what he was doing to her. She moved to step forward, to protect Bella but Jasper held her back.

"But Jazz….he…"

Jasper just shook his head. They had to let Bella talk to this guy. He knew nothing about Edward or what their history was but he knew Bella enough to realize it was time for her to face whatever this was.

"Edward, I had to see you…to see if you were alright." Bella stammered wanting him to understand.

"Why, Bella? Why now? Where is your _husband?"_

His questions pierced her heart. He was right; she had no right to be there. She had left _him_, dealing him the blow she knew he would never recover from.

She took a step back, looking everywhere but at him.

"I'm ….sorry. I'll just…go now"

She turned and ran. She never saw the hand Edward held out to stop her, the step he took as he almost followed her out.

"_Fuck!"_ He beat his balled fist against his thigh and turned to find a furious Jasper in his face.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but nobody talks to Bella that way. If you weren't injured I would knock you out on your ass", Jasper seethed. "I still might do it, you asshole. She spent six hours flying out to you and you treat her like that?"

Alice came forward and wrapped her arms around Jasper.

"Shh…Jasper…calm down, please. This will not help Bella." She tried to sooth him.

Edward stood there, still as a statue. His body tightly coiled as if braced for impact. His ashen face and the trembling around his lips spoke of his tension. Emmett came and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Buddy,_ that_ wasn't you. What the hell happened?"

"Emmett….I… you think I wanted to be an asshole to her? This wasn't how I thought it would go if I ever met her again. I wanted to just….beg her to stay."

"Stay?" Jasper was still angry as he looked at Edward. "Why would you want her to stay?"

"Because I …_fucking_ love her. I love her still. Two years after she left me…to marry that …that Newton.", he said too tired and heart sore to hide his feelings anymore.

_He wanted to rewind time and go back to when they had met first or even to that night she left him. He wanted a do-over; there was no way he would let her leave him. He had lived two years without her and without even the hope they could ever be together. She was a married woman. She should have been his married woman. The few minutes between his car being hit and him being pulled out of it were like an eternity. An eternity where his entire life had flashed before him…the moments where he had felt completely at ease with the world and himself….happy – all of those moments were with Bella._

_It was like watching a film, one moment he was racing furiously in his car intent on winning that event; the next he felt something hit him hard. He felt that first impact when his car crashed into the wall just before the sheer momentum of it made the vehicle spin. When he was scrambling to keep his car in a tight circle all he could he think was of Bella…she didn't know how much he loved her. She might never know and that to him was unbearable. He vowed right there that if he made out of this alive he would find Bella and then what his mind has asked. What is that you will do, Edward if you find her? She's married, she made her choice and it isn't _you_._

He was brought abruptly to the present as he felt some one shake him.

"Edward…Edward…" Jasper was calling out to him.

"Listen to me Edward and listen well. I love Bella like she was my sister. I will not stand by and watch anyone treat her like you just did. But I have never seen her like this…this torn up about someone she hasn't mentioned in the two years I have known her. Tell me do you love her?"

"Yes, I love her." He whispered but his voice was firm, resolute with intent.

"Then you have to go talk to her. Go man."

"Uh...Edward?" Alice stepped forward, blocking his path. "Why did you ask her where her husband was?" She asked quizzically.

Instantly Edward's whole demeanor changed as the momentary bravado left him.

"She left me….to marry Newton. I just wanted to know why he wasn't here with her or even why he would let his _wife_ come here to see me." he spoke through gritted teeth as if the name Newton left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Newton…who's Newton? I don't understand. Bella is not married" Alice was confounded. It felt surreal; like someone would pop up and claim to be this Newton person Edward kept referring to…kids in tow.

Alice watched the changing expressions on Edward's decidedly beautiful face; she felt a slight pang of guilt thinking like that. One glance towards Jasper however took care of that guilt too; no one would ever take her heart the way Jazz did. She could still appreciate beauty though she told herself, laughing a little at her flights of fancy.

Surprise, anger, hope, joy and then again anger flashed in quick succession through Edward's face. His brow pulled in a frown as it finally settled into confusion.

"She's not married? But she left me to get married to Newton. She told me so herself"

"Who the hell is this Newton? I have known her for the last two years, there is no Newton. Well unless he's in a cellar…chained down in her basement, you know?" Alice smirked, convinced that Edward had indeed hit his head harder than the doctors thought.

Edward couldn't speak, couldn't think as his body decided that it was time it made its presence felt. He felt each and every one of his muscles and a deep abiding ache in them.

He shuffled towards a chair and waved around to Emmett, silently asking him to explain it to these two people who claimed to have known Bella, but didn't know about Mike fucking Newton.

––x––

Emmett began to talk and what came out of his mouth astounded both Jasper and Alice. As it turned out Emmett was Bella's childhood friend, comrade in arms for all the trouble they had gotten into as kids. Bella's father Charlie Swan was a three time world champion car race driver; he had lost this life about four years ago in an accident very similar to the one Edward, Emmett and the others had earlier that day.

Jasper and Alice shared a look that spoke volumes. So many things about Bella made sense to them now….the way she would shy away from people, not making any friends, preferring to be with either her work or books or just the two of them. The haunted look that would come into her eyes every now and then when she thought no one was looking at her, how she spurned every effort made by men to woo her. Alice remembered that even with them they had to both slightly push their way into Bella's life, she hadn't let them in quickly.

"Bella and Edward were inseparable when they had met…then something happened." he looked at Edward as if wanting him to explain further but Edward just shook his head not wanting to get into it at that moment.

"Bella left the country, broke all contact with us and never came back. Edward here" he said with a wide sweep of his hand in Edward's direction "went from an affable, cocky young man to an asshole overnight"

"Hey…I-" Edward protested.

"Face it man, you haven't been the same. She changed you when you met and then when you guys broke up"

"Emmett, there was nothing to break up about. Remember? I was _nothing _to her….nothing. She slept with Mike; she wanted to marry …him."

Alice was exasperated. "Edward there is no Mike. Please understand that. I don't know why she said what she did. She met us two years ago. She didn't say much but I knew she was running from something….someone. Now I think it was you she was running from or rather your situation. She's not married to anyone. Okay?"

"Okay, okay." Emmett stood up, his arms spread wide apart as if to halt the conversation.

"Everyone back up for a moment. Let's take it step by step." Emmett's take charge personality was coming to the fore front.

Turning towards Edward, he began to talk counting off points on his fingers.

"First, you love Bella, right?" When Edward nodded he continued.

"Good. So then Bella is single, she's not married. No Newton?" He looked at Jasper.

Jasper confirmed with a brisk nod.

"Hmm…." scratching his chin he started pacing.

"Well my man, I think you got played." he stopped in front of Edward.

"Wha…What...played…How?" Edward's voice was shocked, incredulous.

"She lied to you man. She told you she slept with Mike, wanted to marry him, yes?"

The question was fairly rhetorical so Edward didn't bother replying. Clearly Emmett was on a roll, he wasn't stopping to listen to anyone.

"So then, if you had stopped to take your head out of your ass for a minute you would have been able to see it. You fool." Emmett thumped Edward on his uninjured shoulder.

"See…what…ohhh" Edward shuddered as the wheels started to turn in his head.

"I need to go talk to her" was his enlightened reply.

"You think?" Alice deadpanned.

Jasper tossed him the card with the details of the hotel they were staying at and grinned at the one hand grip Edward still exhibited as he caught it.

"He's alright, eh?" he remarked to Alice who just shook her head at the trio.

"Be gentle with her please" she entreated.

"I promise I will not hurt her anymore. Never ever again" Edward promised.

* * *

Bella entered her hotel room with a heavy heart. Slumping down on the bed she rubbed her eyes as she thought of the last sixteen hours. She had gone from having an ordinary day to facing the possibility of a world without Edward to actually meeting him after two long, lonely years to now where she sat alone in her bed.

Edward had looked at her with flat, empty eyes. Nothing that would even hint at the magical few weeks they had spent wrapped up in each other. She felt her heart twist in her chest as she thought of how close she had come to touching him, holding him in her arms; only to have Edward reject her. _Like you had rejected him_, her insidious mind interjected.

Bella longed for a simpler time. She wished she had never stepped foot inside a race track. Her reverie was interrupted by an impatient knock at the door.

"Not now, Alice. I …can't." she called out. She had nothing left to give.

The knocking went on again; Bella knew Alice was capable of doing this all night if pushed.

"Alice! I told you I can't do this now….leave me…alone..." her voice trailed out as she opened the door to find Edward standing before her.

Her arm moved reflexively to shut the door as Edward stepped forward to come in. The door hit him in the face.

"Oww…." he muttered stepping back and turning his nose one way then the other to check if it was broken.

"Oh, sorry" Bella hastily held the door open but not moving away so he could step in.

"What do you want, Edward?" She felt too fragile to speak to him again.

"Please Bella…please let me come in. I won't be long."

Something in his face made Bella step away so he could come in. Edward walked in to the center of the room and then halted, unsure how to begin. He turned and looked at Bella, _really_ looked at her.

She was _beautiful_. Bella had always been beautiful to him but now she looked so…so...he floundered for words. She looked like she had the world by the tail. He wondered if she had any place for him in her life….if she ever had any?

Then he noticed her eyes…blood shot and wild. Bella's eyes had always given her away. They were wide with distress. She had her arms wrapped around her chest as if to hold her together. Something about the way she was standing triggered something in his memory…like there was something he should remember but couldn't.

For a moment they just looked at each other, drinking each other in. There was no pretense, no hiding from one another for them.

Bella felt her lips tremble and her eyes fill with tears as she looked at his mouth…the lips were pulled flat against his teeth, the corner of his lip bruised and purple. He should always be smiling and laughing.

She took a step towards him just as he did the same. They stopped an inch apart from each other.

"Bella…."

"Edward…." they both spoke together.

"Bella, I…I know you don't…uh..want me here. I will leave, I promise but please….let me just hold you. Just this once, please?" He pleaded as his voice broke.

All thoughts of protecting her heart went away as Bella stepped forward and into his arms.

She gingerly wrapped her arms around his waist, careful to avoid his bandaged hand and laid her head against his chest, right where his heart was.

Edward felt something run through him as she touched him…her tiny hands sliding around him to rest on his back. As he felt her head rest on his heart he was filled with a feeling of completeness, as if he was a mere shell living for the time when she came and fulfilled him. He closed his eyes and lightly rested his chin on her hair, his free arm going around and clutching her to him.

They stood there wishing time would stop and they could go on like this forever.

Bella eventually realized that dreams didn't always come true, that nothing had changed. She had flown to Edward's side when she had heard of him being in that accident but that didn't change how things were. He still raced cars and she couldn't be with him.

Edward felt the change that came over Bella, as her body stiffened and she began inching her away from him. For a moment his arm tightened to hold her there but he then relented and stepped away.

Bella moved, smoothing her hair down as she went. Edward paced and stopped next to the windows looking out, his hand nervously running at the back of his neck. This is it, he thought …now or never. Taking a deep breath he turned and looked at Bella.

"Bella, why did you leave me two years ago?"

At his question Bella's head whipped up and she looked him in the eye before darting her eyes away and looking everywhere.

"The truth Bella, please tell me the truth. I know you didn't marry Mike. But did you sleep with him two years ago?"

Bella desperately wanted to lie but at that moment she didn't have it in her heart to say anything except the truth so she shook her head as she mumbled. "No."

Edward didn't know how to react. This woman had rocked his world when she had said that she slept with that….Newton. He thought she had _betrayed_ him, betrayed what they had but she had lied? Why would she lie about that?

"Bella, why? Why? If you didn't love me, why didn't you just say so? Why did you lie about this?"

As he stepped forward towards her, she took a few steps back her body language clearly defensive.

"I'm not…..going to touch you Bella. But please….I need to know"

Bella just stood there, shaking her head and not speaking. Something about the way she stood reminded Edward of that night …that night that she had walked out of his life. She had stood then much the same way. Her body hunched, trembling, eyes blinking furiously as if to keep tears at bay.

Edward began to speak and his words were like a lance to Bella's heart.

_"Two_ years, Bella." he said incredulously.

"Two years I've spent with an ache in my heart, missing something but not knowing what it was. Two years I haven't looked at the sunset without thinking of you. _Two_ years that I've spent every waking moment trying not to think of you. I looked for you in every woman….no one was you. You told me you loved someone else, you were happy with _him_. Every day I thought of you with him. Why did you do it, Bella? Why?"

Edward's voice broke at the last word; his voice trembling with passion and heartache. He started pacing, his body tense and his clenched fists stark white against the black of his jeans. With every word that left his mouth Bella curled more into herself, her face stark white. It took everything in her to not give in and do what she wanted to do with every fiber of her being…to tell him everything. But she couldn't give in; not now.

He whirled and stalked towards her. For every step he took towards Bella, she took one back until her back hit the wall. Edward placed his hands besides her shoulders, caging her in.

"Bella, please…please talk to me. If you don't have any feelings for me…tell me. Say it."

Bella continued to shake her head, as Edward slouched down a little till their eyes were leveled. He leaned in to touch her forehead with his; he was determined not to give in today. Bella wasn't walking away from him, _from them_ ever again.

Bella's heart started beating wildly with him so close to her. He lifted his trembling hand and inched it closer to her, finally cupping her cheek. Bella's eyes instinctively closed as she leaned into his touch. He inched back a little so he could look at her.

"I love you, Bella." He whispered laying it all out on the line.

She could take his heart and crush it underfoot, like she had done earlier but he prayed that this night would have a different ending for them.

A sob escaped Bella as the dam holding her emotions in check broke a little and she felt a tear run down her cheek.

Edward leaned in to catch it with his lips, a slight brush of his lips against her soft skin.

"Tell me you love me Bella. We can deal with everything else. I will make it right, I promise you."

Bella's teeth bit down on her lip to keep the words that wanted to escape, in.

"Ok, then tell me you hate me. Say it…..I hate you" he prompted as he trailed his lips down towards her collarbone, placing soft kisses along the way, brushing his tongue against the hammering pulse point at the base of her throat.

"Come on Bella, tell me - I hate you." he reminded.

Bella's arms slowly wound themselves around his back, holding him to her even as she gasped. "I hate you." no longer able to remain mute.

"That's right. Tell me again" his lips inching up as he kissed his away towards her neck. Nipping at her ear lobe he hummed "Bella….."

"I hate you….I hate you….I hate you." she gasped as he continued his assault on her senses. She could no longer tell where she ended and he began, keeping them apart seemed like the blackest of blasphemy to her. For a split second she envisaged life for them together …just them _forever_ and that took away the last of her restraint with it.

"I love you." she finally gave in, her voice a thready moan. "I love you…I love you."

Edward felt all of his senses come alive, sparkling into life as her words went straight into his heart and he locked them in for all eternity.

"I love you so much, my Bella. I can't live without you anymore. I _need_ you with me. I will do whatever I need to do to make you believe in me" he promised. His lips hovering above hers, just a breath apart before he leaned in and touched them.

Bella wound her arms around his shoulders, clutching him to her body.

A tangle of arms. Soft, slow brush of lips. A feeling of finally being home. An escalating desire that led to a battle of teeth and lips and gasps till they both broke apart to just look at each other.

Smoothing a wayward curl and tucking it behind her ear, Edward spoke softly, trying not to break this spell where everything was being made right between them.

"We need to talk."

At Bella's nod he led her to the sofa, helping her sit down before kneeling down on his knees in front of her. Taking her trembling hands in his, he began in a soothing voice.

"Bella, what happened that day? Why did you say…" he broke off as Bella visibly recoiled. He realized it was too much too soon and he backed off. He remembered Emmett mentioning that Bella's father was a racer too. He had never connected Charlie Swan to Bella and he felt so stupid for it.

"Talk to me about Charlie" he pleaded.

Tears slipped out of her eyes as Bella thought of Charlie…_daddy_.

"Ah…he is my father" she began.

"_Was._" she corrected herself after a moment. Edward rubbed a soothing thumb over her knuckles. "He…died in an accident a few years before I met you."

_Bella talked about her childhood, painting a picture of a home with her mother Renee, Charlie and with Emmett. Charlie had met Renee on the race track and they fallen madly in love with each other. Married within six months they were blessed with a daughter. Emmett was the son of Charlie's team leader and a constant companion for Bella. Bella spent her childhood shuttling between Charlie's world that was filled with adventure and thrill and Renee's world where she pretended that her husband was a car mechanic – not a world class race car driver. Bella went through childhood puzzled as to why her mother never came down to the tracks to cheer her father on. One day she just asked Renee about it. While the race track was exciting to Bella, to Renee it was a world filled with danger. A world that could take her husband away from them forever on a whim. She was afraid of the track; to Charlie the track was home. Renee couldn't ask Charlie to leave that world for them, scared that he would eventually come to resent her for it. So she suffered in silence, living in her world of pretence._

_Renee never realized the impact this had on Bella. Watching her mother fear for her father's life every time he went on to the track, cringing every time the phone rang made Bella want to hate the track too. But she loved the vibe of the race world, the exhaust and the fumes of the cars, the hours of work that went to get a car race ready. Torn between what she thought was her duty towards her mother and her love for her father's world Bella was conflicted. One day Charlie went on to the track for a race that would make him the longest standing champion, if he were to win it. But he never came home that day or any day after that. An accident at the tracks left Charlie in a coma. Bella stood by and watched her proud father wither away in a hospital. Two months after the accident Charlie passed away dealing a blow neither Renee nor Bella had recovered from._

_Bella vowed at Charlie's funeral to never fall in love with someone from the race world. She never wanted to be a part of that world again, never go through anything Renee went through in her life._

_But then destiny brought her to Edward. _And to love_._

_Bella never had a chance to guard her heart against Edward; it was his the moment they met. The decision they had made to keep the outside world at bay took away any opportunity to talk about their lives from them. To Bella it had seemed so romantic then._

"And then I saw you at Emmett's and he said you raced with him.

"I…ah...I just got so scared Edward. I am so sorry. I...I should have talked to you. There's never been anyone else for me. It's always been you. _Just you_. But I couldn't ...see you risk your life everyday. I couldn't live….like my _mom"_ her voice caught on a sob at the end.

Edward felt equal parts relief and anger - relief that she really did love him and anger that she didn't trust him enough. She should have talked to him; she made a decision for both of them without even thinking about the consequences. He wanted to scream and shout but this wasn't the time or the place for that, he knew. Bella was distressed enough & he didn't want to add onto it.

"Honey, just tell me what you need from me. I can do anything in the world. I don't _have _to be a F1 racer. Hell with the money I have made in these last years I don't need to ever work again, if it comes to that. Just stay with me."

"No... No..." Bella stood up, agitated. "I can't ask you of that. You will hate me for it eventually."

"You aren't asking. I am offering. No. I am _telling_ you. All I need is to be with you. We can work everything else out, Bella. Nothing is impossible if you are with me."

"Is it that easy? You say that and everything works itself out?" She whispered to herself.

"It is that easy when you love someone" he came forward and hugged her.

"I let you go once. I should have come after you, made you talk to me. I was an idiot. Never again Bella. There is no escaping me now" he laughed. His heart filled with joy and he picked her up swinging her around and around till the room echoed with her laughter.

They had barely a few minutes to enjoy being reunited when Emmett called with news about Jacob.

"Edward…Man. Jake didn't make it," Edward was stunned. Jacob was only 21, the brightest rookie on the track. All the emotional upheaval of the last twenty something hours left him reeling, drained.

Bella became his rock during the next few days, supporting him every step of the way.

From that moment she took over; with Alice's help they made all the arrangements for the funeral. Edward was afraid this might pull the two of them apart again but Bella was steadfast where she was unsure earlier. She loved Edward and they were meant to be together forever.

* * *

One fine spring morning found them in bed entwined in each other's arms.

The picture they made was breathtaking - the man holding the woman in his arms as though she were precious and fragile. He slept facing the door as a barrier between her and any danger. And she had her legs curled around his, his shirt fisted tightly in one of her hands as if to hold him there and her cheek on his chest. The early morning sun shining in through the curtains bathed them in a soft golden glow, the breeze scented with lavender from the flower beds she tended to lovingly played with the woman's hair as the man wrapped his fingers around the soft, silky strands.

They both awoke slowly, looking at each other and smiling at their good fortune.

"Good morning, my love." Edward kissed the top of her head.

"Hmm…." Bella burrowed further into him. She was not a morning person.

Edward laughed; the laughter rumbled in his chest and shook his shoulders with glee. Bella finally peeped out; she loved to see him laugh.

"Hey, sleepy head," he smiled at Bella. She looked adorable, her hair all over the place, eyes still half closed.

"Don't you have to go to the gym? Emmett will be waiting for you," she mumbled as she tried to burrow back into the covers. "Let me sleep."

"Hey…hey...I can work out right here you know." he smirked, turning so he hovered over Bella.

Placing his palms by her shoulders he lifted himself on his toes, leaning down till he was barely an inch away from Bella.

"One…" he started pushups right there on the bed.

Flexing his arms he inched up and then repeated the motion, coming within touching distance to only raise back up when Bella tried to kiss him. Lost in her warm, brown eyes he completely forgot to count any further.

"Hey now, no disturbing me while I exercise," he winked as he went down again, inch by slow inch.

Bella grinned wickedly as she wrapped her legs around his hips and arms around the waist and then jerked him down.

Placing her lips next to his ear she nipped at him. "Mr. Cullen, have you ever tried to thread a moving needle?" She inquired throatily as she moved beneath him.

"Bella!" He sputtered as she moved in to kiss him astonished at this playful part of her.

"No Mrs. Cullen, can't say I have but I damn sure am gonna try!" He happily replied as he swooped down and touched her lips.

* * *

**Summary/Prompt used: One of the pair betrays the other and there is some kind of death. **

**Thank you for reading. A ton of thanks go out to my beta_ readergoof _and to the sweetest girl I know..._Rose Masen Cullen_. She is all kinds of awesome! Go check her stories out, she's brilliant!  
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